


I Am Thinking It's a Sign

by loveydoveyecstasy



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Artist AU, Cranky Charles is cranky, Fluff, M/M, Seven year age difference
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-31
Updated: 2012-12-31
Packaged: 2017-11-23 02:06:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/616878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loveydoveyecstasy/pseuds/loveydoveyecstasy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charles hates his freckles. Erik thinks they're adorable.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Am Thinking It's a Sign

”How many freckles do you even have?” Erik asked, lightly dragging a finger down the slope of Charles’s nose. 

“I don’t know,” Charles grumbled, shying away from the attention. 

“Let me look,” Erik commanded, scowling a little. 

“Why?” Charles asked, turning his head and glaring at the wall. “They’re just stupid freckles.” 

“They’re cute, and I want to look. So hold still.” 

Charles sighed, rolling over and glaring at Erik. The effect was somewhat ruined by the dark circles under Charles’s eyes and the way his greasy hair stuck to his forehead. Erik was going to have to talk him into a shower soon. 

“They’re nothing special,” Charles grumbled, cheeks beginning to color under Erik’s gaze. Erik ignored him, studying the small marks across his nose and cheeks instead, softly counting to himself. Charles held still, remaining silent until he couldn’t stand it anymore. 

“Well?” he asked, irritated. 

“Twenty-six, by my count,” Erik replied, tracing light fingers over Charles’s nose and cheeks. 

“Wonderful,” Charles grumbled, turning his head away. 

“Get back here,” Erik growled, cupping Charles’s cheek and turning his face back towards Erik. Charles continued to scowl at him, embarrassed by the attention to his least favorite feature, and by the gentle way Erik was looking at him. 

“I love them. And you.” 

Charles’s face colored even more, still unused to Erik’s blatant expressions of affection. “They’re unique, like you. And they’re adorable. So hush with your grumbling.” 

Charles opened his mouth to respond, but Erik cut him off with a hand over his mouth, grinning at him. “I said, hush.” 

Charles shut his mouth and glared at Erik. Erik, in turn, continued to study Charles’s face, finally leaning in and pressing a kiss to the largest freckle on Charles’s nose, rumbling softly. The noise melted Charles’s heart, and he began to flush for an entirely different reason. 

“You’re gorgeous, Charles. Even if you need to wash your hair and get another night’s sleep.” 

“My hair is fine,” Charles grumbled weakly, scowling at his boyfriend. 

“Uh huh. Whatever you say.” 

Charles floundered for a comeback, but found himself coming up short, and finally settled on leaning in for a kiss, much to Erik’s delight. One kiss turned into another, and still another, and soon Charles found himself shirtless and stretched out on his stomach while Erik counted each of the freckles along his shoulders and back, rumbling happily whenever he pressed a kiss to one. 

“You should let me try my hand at painting on you,” Erik murmured, lips pressed against Charles’s shoulder. 

“Why on earth is that? You yourself have said you don’t have any kind of artistic talent…” Charles trailed off, breath catching in his throat as Erik’s lips dragged across the sensitive part of his neck. 

“I don’t. But your freckles make the loveliest pictures.” He brought his fingers up to trail along a smattering of freckles on his shoulder, tracing a light circular design on it. 

“Like here. There’s a sunrise or sunset in this spot. And over here,” Erik trailed his fingers down the freckles along Charles’s spine, humming softly. “Here’s a forest full of trees. And over here…” Erik’s fingers dragged over a small group of freckles. “Here you have a constellation.” 

“Oh.” Charles’s voice was soft, somewhat awed by the gentle touches and the creativity Erik was expressing. He was never one for artistic pursuits, and for him to see so many images in Charles’s freckles was a little bit overwhelming. 

“And here…” Erik leaned over Charles’s back, until he was nearly cheek to cheek with Charles, tracing his fingertips over the freckles on his face. “Here, I can see my name. Permanently in your skin.” 

Charles flushed a bright red, and turned to steal a kiss from Erik. 

“You’re a sentimental old man,” he grumbled, biting back an utterly pleased, lovestruck grin. 

“And you love me for it.” Erik pressed a kiss to Charles’s cheek before sliding off of him and settling beside him, reaching out drag his fingers along the freckles on Charles’s back, smiling warmly at the other man. 

“Yeah. I do.” Charles snuggled in closer, tucking his head underneath Erik’s chin and relaxing beneath his fingers. 

Charles hated his freckles a little less after that night. 


End file.
